Committees
Council meetings are held on a regular basis. You can find dates of Committees/Panels for all Council meetings by clicking on the Calendar of Meetings link below:-
Calendar of meetings: January 2007 - April 2008
County Council
The full council comprising of the 62 members meets regularly. One of its functions is to agree major policies, which govern the way services are provided, or set down the Council's general approach to doing things.
It is the job of the Cabinet and paid Officers of the Council to put policies into practice: in other words to take operational decisions about services within the policy framework set by the Council. They do not have the authority to act outside this policy framework. Legislation prescribes that, in addition to the budget and setting Council Tax, the full Council must adopt the following plans as part of the overall policy framework:-
- Annual Investment Strategy
- Annual Library Plan
- Children's Services Plan
- Community Care Plan
- Community Strategy
- Corporate Strategy
- Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategies
- Early Years Development Plan
- Education Development Plan
- Local Transport Plan
- Performance Plan
- Youth Justice Plan
The Council may, from time to time, decide to add other plans and strategies to this list.
You can find out more information on the County Council by clicking on the link below:-
Executive Arrangements
The Council is required by law to have executive arrangements and has chosen the Leader and Cabinet model. The Cabinet is not a Committee and does not have to be politically balanced.
The Cabinet is made up of the Leader and five other councillors. The Council chooses the Leader and sets the number of members on the Cabinet. It is the responsibility of the Leader to choose his own Cabinet up to the number determined. Each Cabinet Member or portfolio holder has an individual area of responsibility.
Click here to view the leader and the cabinet members photographs and contact details
The Cabinet normally meets monthly. Its role is to lead in the preparation of the Council's policies and budget, to lead the community planning process and the attainment of best value. Decisions made by the Cabinet are subject to "call-in". This is where non-Cabinet members are given the opportunity to challenge a decision made by the Cabinet. If this happens, the Cabinet may have to re-consider their decision.
The Leader of the Council has to publish a Forward Plan which contains a list of key decisions that the Cabinet are likely to take in the following four months, how and with whom consultation takes place on those matters before the decision is taken, the anticipated date of the meeting at which the decision will be taken, a list of the documents which the Cabinet will consider and the steps to be taken by any person who wants to make representations to the Cabinet about the matter.
You can find out more information on the Cabinet by clicking on the link below:-
Scrutiny Arrangements
Scrutiny is all about helping to improve the Council's performance. Scrutiny looks at decisions and policies and questions whether they are right for Staffordshire. Scrutiny and Performance Panels get to the heart of issues and problems. They collect as much information as they can about a subject and make recommendations for the Cabinet to consider. Scrutiny tries to engage the wider public wherever possible. Meetings are often held in venues such as schools, libraries and community centres whenever this is possible. This makes scrutiny more accessible to local people. Scrutiny Panels run meetings as informally as possible by promoting discussions between Members and invited guests who may be service users or external experts who can offer advice to the review.
Scrutiny is undertaken by elected members of the Council who are supported by a dedicated officer resource. Scrutiny is one of the most important ways in which both can influence Council policy.
You can find out more information on Scrutiny and Performance Panel by clicking on the committee/panel name in the list below:-
Non-Scrutiny Committees
Some matters cannot, by law, be dealt with by the Cabinet. Apart from those reserved to the full Council, these tend to be planning, licensing and regulatory functions, although there are some others. All members of the Council are eligible to serve on a non-Scrutiny Committee.
You can find out more information on the Committee by clicking on the committee name in the list below:-
Last Modified: 13 June 2008, 11:30
Page Last Modified:
13/06/2008 11:30:43
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